The invention relates to a shower head which is adjustable for producing different sprays. The shower head has a spray ring which is axially movable in a housing and which has an outside surface with spray slots extending axially thereon. The shower head has an axially movable spray bottom which is equipped with spray holes. Above the spray bottom is a valve rotor for the generation of pulsating jets making it possible to connect the spray ring and/or spray bottom to a valve member, by the axial motion of which the incoming liquid can be directed selectively to the spray ring and/or to the spray bottom, and the spray ring and/or spray bottom being in connection with a coulisse guiding means which is manually drivable by means of a turning member mounted in the housing wall.
In one known adjustable shower head (German DE-OS No. 27 22 967) a tubular part containing both a spray bottom and a spray ring is axially movable by means of a cam plate which is rotatably mounted in the shower head tangential to the tubular part and fixed to a handle disposed outside of the housing. On its face, facing the tubular part, the cam plate is provided with a spiral groove engaged in a flush manner by a pin fastened to the tubular part. This spiral groove effects the axial motion of the tubular part when the plate is rotated by means of the handle.
The cam plate's bearing axis and axis of rotation is perpendicular to the axis of the tubular part. Although the shower head of this known design is rather long and oval in shape, the accommodation of the cam plate in the housing requires a lateral expansion which, as viewed in axial direction of the tubular part, occupies at least twice the size of the maximum stroke length. Therefore, a compact design is not possible for this kind of axial motion of the spray ring or spray bottom, and also the physical shape of the shower head housing must necessarily have a bulge where the cam plate is accommodated, which effects the physical appearance of the shower head unfavorably. Since the diameter of the cam plate must be at least twice as big as the maximum stroke and the lead of the spiral groove relative to the angle of rotation of the cam plate cannot exceed a certain maximum because of the ease of operation required on the other hand, the stroke length achievable therewith has relatively narrow limits.
In another known shower head (German DE-OS No. 26 13 618), in which a tubular part is provided as a fixed component, which is closed at its face and equipped with a spray ring. This tubular part is enclosed by a tubular housing which is axially movable relative to the tubular part so that its lower terminal edge can assume different positions relative to the spray ring. An eccentric member is seated in a radial hole of the housing and is mounted on a shaft extending radially and rotatably mounted in the tubular part. By turning the shaft with a handle disposed outside the housing, the housing can be moved axially. Here again, for construction reasons, only a relatively short housing stroke is possible, and there is no proportionality between the angle of rotation of the eccentric and the axial motion of the housing. The consequence of this is that a fine adjustment is possible only at the end postion of the axially movable housing. In the center position, a small rotary motion of the eccentric results in a relatively great axial motion, because the ratio between the angle of rotation of the eccentric and the axial motion of the housing is subject to the sine law. The force required to move the housing along the entire stroke length also changes accordingly.